Tseng College Offers Free Project Management Course, Open to All

  • Exterior view of the Extended University Commons building, home to Tseng College

    Extended University Commons, home to Tseng College. Photo courtesy of Lee Choo.

CSUN’s Tseng College for Continuing Education is responding to the needs of the community with a free project management course open to all individuals whose businesses have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Pracademic Project Management for Industry Professionals,” an accelerated, virtual project management course, provides students with an introduction to project management and opportunities to learn real-world applications of strategies. Each week in class brings a new challenge and an opportunity to increase the effectiveness of project managers and teams.

Led by Dale S. Deardorff, an instructor in CSUN’s Master of Science Engineering Management program, the class is part of Courses for Causes.

The Courses for Causes program launched in June 2020 and is a collaboration of the California State University Chancellor’s office and Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE) units of CSU campuses.

“Budgeting for Non-Budgetary Employees in the Public Sector” was one of two inaugural courses offered by CSUN in June to help small businesses and nonprofit organizations navigate the economic impacts of the pandemic. It was met with enthusiasm from program participants including CSUN double alumnus Sergio Ibarra ’02 (Political Science), M.P.A. ’12 (Public Administration), the human resources and risk manager for the City of Bell. “In the midst of COVID-19, we were finishing the city’s budget and budgeting during the uncertainty brought by the pandemic was like walking on quicksand,” said Ibarra. “The course was a great refresher for planning and problem solving, and I highly recommend everyone take advantage of the Courses for Causes program offerings.”

“Pracademic Project Management for Industry Professionals” meets Wednesdays, Sept. 16-Oct. 21, 6-8 p.m., in a virtual format via Zoom. Pre-registration is required by Sept. 7. The course is open to all.

For more information about Courses for Causes and to register, check the website or email Zach Helsper, University Access programs manager for the Tseng College, at zachary.helsper@csun.edu.